The road to building a dominant trench crew never truly ends—and West Virginia offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. may not be done stacking his war chest just yet.
Over the last few weeks, the Mountaineers have been on a tear in the recruiting trenches, pulling in a trio of towering offensive linemen—Justyn Lyles, Camden Goforth, and Rhett Morris—for the 2026 class. But now, another juggernaut is looming on the horizon, and his name is starting to echo across the recruiting landscape.
Enter D’Nilyeon Taylor: the 6-foot-5, 295-pound offensive line Swiss Army knife out of Westerville, Ohio.
Taylor is far from your average O-line prospect. He’s a towering, bulldozing, sideline-to-sideline technician with the frame of a left tackle, the mobility of a guard, and the ruthless attitude of a man on a mission. Whether it’s left tackle, right tackle, or either guard position, Taylor has done it all—with the lone exception of center. His versatility isn’t just a bonus—it’s a weapon. College coaches dream of plug-and-play linemen who can fill gaps instantly, and Taylor fits that mold with near-surgical precision.
Now, the countdown is on. Taylor has locked in June 21st as his commitment date, and West Virginia is firmly in the mix. This isn’t just another name on a list—Taylor could be a cornerstone.
While schools like Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Marshall, and Miami (OH) have tried their hand, they’ve fallen off the board. The final contenders now read like a wild card showdown: West Virginia, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, and South Florida. But make no mistake—WVU may be holding the edge with its recent momentum and the clear pitch: come anchor a rising offensive line unit in the Big 12.
And if you’ve been paying attention, the Mountaineers are quietly assembling an offensive fortress in Morgantown. Taylor would join a loaded 2026 recruiting haul that already includes:
- QB Jyron Hughley – a dual-threat signal-caller with rocket-fueled instincts
- RB Jett Walker – a backfield blur who can torch defenses on contact
- WR Robert Stith – a route-runner with glue for hands
- TE Sam Hamilton – a punishing blocker and red-zone assassin
- OL Rhett Morris, Justyn Lyles, and Camden Goforth – three potential starters on Day One
- EDGE Noah Tishendorf – a quarterback’s worst nightmare
- DL Cam Mallory – a middle-clogging menace
- LBs Cameron Dwyer, Antoine Sharp, and Miles Khatri – sideline-to-sideline tacklers with mean streaks
- DBs Simaj Hill and Jaylon Jones (JUCO) – lockdown coverage artists
- Safeties Taj Powell, Aaron Edwards, and Emory Snyder – fearless enforcers with a nose for the football
With Taylor on board, the vision becomes clearer: West Virginia is crafting a class built to dominate the trenches, protect their offensive stars, and punish opponents at the line of scrimmage.
So circle June 21st in bold red ink. Because when D’Nilyeon Taylor makes his call, it could mark the next seismic shift in the Mountaineers’ mission to reclaim gridiron glory.
Will he ride with the Mountaineers and become the next mauler in Morgantown? Or will another program sneak in at the buzzer? Stay tuned—this commitment is shaping up to be a trench war thriller.
